Tag Archives: DNA archive

Already the last Friday so only eight left before Christmas….where the heck as the year gone? As it is the last Friday anybody with even vague psychic ability will know what is going to be written here:-the 2018 UK Glen of Imaal Terrier Breed Survey and the DNA Archive.

Go on check back through your records-have you filled in the 2018 Breed Survey yet? There isn’t much time left. Whilst you’re in the drawer, the cupboard under the board, or the calendar in your ipad have a look if you’ve done sent the details of your Glen for the DNA Archive? It is for the benefit of Glens now and Glens to come. Go on, do your bit towards the future of the breed.

Why have a DNA Archive?

Many Glen of Imaal Terrier owners will remember the Bochum (Germany) and Cornell (USA) research projects, which identified the gene responsible for the Glen variant of PRA (progressive retinal atrophy). Initially, with the Bochum project, a number of breed club representatives from the UK and mainland Europe collaborated with the identification of affected Glens, and together they analysed pedigrees to identify close relatives who could also potentially carry the gene mutation. After this came the search for completely unrelated, unaffected Glens (controls), as important to the research process as the affected and carrier status Glens. Then began the quest to locate owners and request DNA samples for the research team.

This highlights the importance of breed clubs, breeders and owners from different countries and continents collaborating with health research projects in this numerically small breed. It also illustrates the time-consuming processes required to identify dogs and collect DNA samples before the scientists can begin their research.

The advantage to the research scientists of having a DNA archive is that the identification of affected dogs and the analysis of pedigrees to find close relatives, and non-related “control” dogs becomes a much simpler and quicker process, because everything required to initiate and progress a health research project is readily available in one place:

The Glen of Imaal Terrier DNA archive has been running a while, yes of course you’re going to send along DNA, but have you done it yet? And of course we’re going to fill in the 2018 Glen Breed Survey but where have I put it?

So to aid memory. The online Survey can be found here. The following has to be written now so go and put the kettle on or something. No personal data in any form is harvested via the survey unless you choose to enter it yourself; neither isp, country or server used is recorded.

.There has been a slight change with the DNA archive but nothing serious. Alison Seall writes her final email as DNA archivist.:-

The www.glenarchive.com “package” was due to expire in August…but thanks to a Glen owner in the US & the EFG the dedicated site will continue

If you have a swab kit but haven’t got around to swabbing your Glen, we should be grateful if you would “do the deed” and get the swabs and documentation in the post to the AHT … to get there by Friday 13th April … if possible!

The end of year update for the Glen of Imaal Terrier DNA Archive shows that we’ve had a trickle of submissions over the past 3 months … from 7 Glens. Thank you to their owners … your support is very much appreciated!

It is very disappointing that only 35% of the swab kits sent / given out have been returned to the Animal Health Trust (AHT):

2013: 7 submissions

2014: 17 submissions

2015: No submissions

2016: GlenArchive website launched

2016: 24 submissions

2017: 33 submissions

UNUSED SWAB KITS: I will be visiting the AHT in the New Year to return unused swab kits. If you still have a kit (or kits) that you are not intending to use, I should be grateful if you would kindly return to me by the end of January:

Alison Seall, 13 Crawford Gardens, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 5AZ. UK

Thank you.

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION!

Hopefully, some New Year’s resolutions will include supporting the Glen DNA Archive! All you need to do to is send off five buccal (cheek) swabs from your Glen, plus a copy of your Glen’s pedigree and the AHT submission form to the AHT.

For more information, and to request a kit via the online request form, please visit the dedicated Glen Archive website: www.glenarchive.com

N.B. The Glen Archive website, which is funded by me, will be “closing its doors” in October 2018, when the domain and hosting package expires. (The AHT will continue to welcome new submissions from Glens … it is just the dedicated website that will cease activity).

Wishing you and your Glens a Merry Christmas and a fabulous 2018 … and maybe we can reach that elusive 100 submissions some time next year!

The Animal Health Trust (AHT) … where the archive is located … request a voluntary donation of £5.00 per swab kit to cover the costs of the swab kit, admininstration and long term storage. However, if your Glen has a documented health condition, the AHT is happy to waive this small charge.

Let’s aim for 100 Glens “on the books” by the end of the year …!

If you have a swab kit at home … but just haven’t got round to persuading your Glen to having his/her cheek swabs done … please do it now!
We welcome photos of dogs and their swabs … to go onto the Glen Archive Blog! Check out our first photos … and please do send in a picture of your Glen … and a swab!!

The Animal Health Trust (AHT) … where the archive is located … request a voluntary donation of £5.00 per swab kit to cover the costs of the swab kit, admininstration and long term storage. However, if your Glen has a documented health condition, the AHT is happy to waive this small charge.

Let’s aim for 100 Glens “on the books” by the end of the year …!

If you have a swab kit at home … but just haven’t got round to persuading your Glen to having his/her cheek swabs done … please do it now!
We welcome photos of dogs and their swabs … to go onto the Glen Archive Blog! Check out our first photos … and please do send in a picture of your Glen … and a swab!!